Always Thinking of You
by reko1620
Summary: As usual, a stone and the painful memories of the past bring them back together, along with the man that has been chasing Ren for many years.
1. Chapter 1

_**Skip Beat: Always Thinking of You**_

**Hello there. So this is a new story of Ren and Kyoko, but the plot is nowhere near following Skip Beat except for some facts and characters' personalities. This is my second story for Skip Beat. Some of you readers might have read my other story "Unforgotten Memories", which will be updated soon, I hope. Please enjoy this story and don't be shy to shoot some criticism in the reviews section or leave your thoughts of the story.**

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In the city of Tokyo, the sun was out and shining so brightly that even someone with perfect vision could go blind in a second. The light hit off the reflection of a building with windows like mirrors so that only people from the inside could see the busy crowd outside.

At the very top floor of the tall structure, next to the window stood a man in a dark gray suit, indicating that he was a businessman and a wealthy one, too.

It was Ren Tsuruga, who stood near the window, looking out at the world beyond, while patiently waiting for his assistant with news of Kyoko Mogami. Turning around, he walked over to his desk, where he was about to press the intercom on the phone, when there came a soft knock on the door. Entering the room was a young man of twenty-five named Takashi Kanatomi.

"Good morning, Mister Tsuruga" Takashi greeted as he entered the room.

"Good morning to you, too Takashi. So any news about Kyoko?" Ren asked.

Takashi knew that Mister Tsuruga was going to ask this question – it was his job after all; he was a detective, while also working as Ren's assistant at Hizuri Corps – so he averted his gaze away from his boss.

"Well, sir, I have found some information on Miss Mogami, like you asked for, but unfortunately, it is not good. Miss Mogami…she…she died two years ago" Takashi blurted out, relieving all the pressure that had been building in him and shocked him, too because he knew that his boss had a special place in his heart for this Kyoko Mogami person and telling the news was not going to be easy. From the expression of Ren's face, he was absolutely sure that the boss was not taking this too well, so he left the room quietly but before leaving, he placed a manila folder on the desk, which contained all the information on Kyoko's death.

It took a while for Ren to absorb all this in and, when it finally hit him that the love of his life was gone, all he could do was drop down to his knees and cover his face with the hands that had worked very hard for him to get where he was today – the CEO of Hizuri Corps.

_'Oh Kyoko, my love! I never even told you how much you meant to me! You were an angel sent from heaven to help me the day we met.'_

* * *

_**Fourteen years ago on a rainy day…**_

A boy collapsed in a dark alley after running for hours. The boy did not complained about the wetness or hardness of the ground; he was content where he was because the water felt good on his face and he was too tired to keep going. He closed his eyes and started to drift off to sleep.

Small sounds of footsteps in the rain could be heard and the walking stopped when the silhouette of the boy came into view. The approaching footsteps woke the boy up and when he opened his eyes to look up, he was looking into the most innocent eyes he had ever seen. The girl looked like she could not have been more than ten years old; she was wearing simple clothes that were really worn out and not thick enough to block out the cold, but that did not seemed to bother her; she was smiling like an angel. There was a hint of sadness behind her eyes though and this made Kuon's heart ache.

Lending a hand, the little girl helped him up and now standing, he could clearly see that there were bruises and scraps over her face, arms, and legs, which depressed him more.

"Hello there! What's your name?" The little girl asked.

"My…my name is…is K-Kuon H-Hizuri." The young boy replied through chattering teeth, feeling comfortable with telling the girl his name even though they had just met.

"My name is Kyoko Mogami. It is nice to meet you Corn." Kyoko stated formally with a smile, not knowing that his name was not pronounced that way but Kuon did not care because he liked the nickname that she made up without realizing. Kuon smiled back at Kyoko. Both children did not know that it was the start to a beautiful friendship that could turn into something more in the far future.

Over the next few years, Kuon and Kyoko kept each other's company, but only when Kyoko had time to come out to play because her mom was very strict and the person responsible for beating Kyoko ever since she was five. Kyoko explained that her mother's reason for beating her up was that it was a mistake to give birth to Kyoko since the family had been suffering through a lot of misfortunes. Every time Kyoko came running to Kuon, she was fresh with new marks and there would be a lot of blood. Once when Kyoko came to Kuon, so he could help clean the bruises, she lost a large amount of blood and it nearly scared the life out of him, but she kept insisting that she was fine. Even though Kuon observed Kyoko as a girl who would come crying to him, she was strong and determined to stand her own ground, and that made him love her even more everyday.

Although as much as Kuon wanted to tell Kyoko that he loves her, he can't because all the signs showed that she only saw him as an older brother. Kuon decided to take Kyoko to a beach one day because he had been having this idea of escaping from his home and he wanted to take her along, if she was willing.

As they walked toward a giant rock, they both sat on it back to back, and were able to talk for a long time, getting to know each other even better since it had been a while they last talked to one another.

"Hey Kyoko, I have something to ask you." Ren asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence. "Do you ever think of leaving Kyoto?"

"Hmmm…as much I love Kyoto, I want to go some place else, but I wouldn't know where to go and I would be alone if I went away from this place." Kyoko replied.

"Well, how about you come with me to Tokyo to start a new life?"

"Are you sure about that, Corn? I wouldn't want to be a burden to you –"

"Kyoko, you would be no burden at all."

"It is just that I am scare –"

"No worries. I'll always be there for you no matter what." Kuon paused and reach in his pocket "Hold out your hand Kyoko." Kyoko did as he asked and when he deposited the object in her hand, she looked at it and what she saw was a blue stone with uneven edges, but they were not sharp.

She asked "What is it?"

"It's a stone. A magical stone! Here, hold it like this toward the sun." Kuon explained while gesturing his hand in the air to show Kyoko what she should do. Kyoko did what Kuon described her to do and when he took hold of her hand, he turned it a certain angle. What Kyoko saw was a blink but that one quick movement showed something more. The stone changed its color from being blue to purplish-blue; the most magical thing Kyoko ever saw in her 13 years.

"Oh thank you Corn, it is beautiful." Kyoko said and was intending to hand it back to Kuon but he just shook his head and said "It's now yours Kyoko. It is a gift from me to you and you don't have give me anything," Kuon added on when he saw that Kyoko was about to interrupt him, "because you have given me the greatest gift in the world already – your friendship." With that Kuon leaned down to kiss her forehead, while wrapping his arms around her, not wanting the moment to end.

So the two children decided to launch the plan – of escaping to Tokyo – into action the week after the day at the beach. Kuon had no problem, escaping from home because he ran away in the first place since his uncle had been trying kill him just so he could have the money that was left in Kuon's grandfather's will, which actually belonged to Kuon. Unfortunately, on the night that Kuon and Kyoko were to depart to Tokyo, his uncle had found out about his plan and sent out some of his guards to block Kuon from getting near Kyoko's house. Arriving at Kyoko's house, he saw big men standing out on the front property, guarding the door. Kuon knew, at that instant, there was no way he can get Kyoko safely out of the house without being shot at by the big baboons standing stiffly at the door. There was also no way Kuon and Kyoko could leave Kyoto together. Backing away, Kuon accidentally bumped into a can and that noise roused up the men; gunshots were fire and instinct took over Kuon; he started to run without looking back.

In a few weeks, Kuon got to Tokyo safely and wandered around the unknown streets until he was found by an elderly couple of the surname, Tsuruga, who adopted him and who he treated as if they were his real parents. From then on, he was known as Ren Tsuruga. As years went by, he attended school and later on entered the world of business, where he climbed to the top of the ladder and became the CEO of Hizuri Corps. Even as the years passed, Kuon's thoughts have always been on Kyoko, wondering how she was doing or if she was safe from the hands of her mother. Sadness swept over him whenever he thought about this because it was his fault that he could not get her to escape with him.

* * *

A knock came at the door, and Ren got up from where he had been sitting, meanwhile drying the tears that had fallen unconsciously down his handsome face.

"Come in." Ren said after wiping away the tears, but he knew that his eyes were still red, so just as the door is opening, he swung around facing the window.

"Mr. Tsuruga, Miss Miyoko Aiba is here for the secretary job." Ren's secretary, Usagi Okatomi, who will be on a maternity leave, announced. Ren replied by nodding his head, which Usagi took as cue to leave.

When the door closed, silence filled the empty room and all that could be heard were the sounds of their breathing and the thumping of their hearts. Ren quietly walked to the window and picked the folder on his desk to read the information about Kyoko, leaving his new employee curious as to why her boss had not said a single word yet. She was, also however, observing the silhouette of the gentleman before her. He was a very tall man, at least a head taller than her, with broad shoulders and long legs that would make any model jealous. He was, obviously, well-dressed and looking very sharp in his dark gray business suit, which made a nice complexion to his tanned skin.

_'Hmmm…I wonder if he is like this to all his employees.'_ she thought.

Ren was so engrossed looking at the folder's information that he forgot about his new worker. _'So…she died on the 18th of August two summers ago, near the fishing dock that was close to her house.'_ Kuon released a sigh and then remembering about the young lady behind him, he asked her a question without turning around.

"Miss Aiba," Kuon spoke, startling Kyoko from her thinking. "I am assuming that you know how to do your job, correct?"

"Hai!" Kyoko responded enthusiastically.

Ren stopped breathing for a second and felt himself going back in time to when he would always listen to that soft, sweet voice, while looking into the most innocent eyes that had him mesmerized. When Ren turned around, in front of him stood a young girl in her early twenties with past shoulder-length amber-brown hair, which was much lighter compares to his dark chestnut-brown, and who was wearing simple clothes – a soft pink sweater and jeans with sensible heels, unlike the ones that women usually wear, those that look like they could fall any time if they take another step. Finally when Ren looked up at her face, he saw that her chocolate brown eyes were cold and determined, yet he detected a hint of sorrow in them, but her expression was different – it was cheery and welcoming.

_'She would be about the same age as Kyoko if she was still alive today. Oh gosh, Kyoko would probably be the splitting image of her except for the hair color, but everything else perfectly fits the features of Kyoko.'_ Ren thought.

What Ren did not know was that he was right on target; Miyoko Aiba was indeed Kyoko Mogami. Kyoko had faked her own death two years ago so she could escape to Tokyo and search for Corn. For the past two years, now four and twenty and using the name Miyoko Aiba, Kyoko went around doing odd jobs – from being a waitress to being an elementary substitute teacher – until the day she can find the love of her life again – Corn. Hearing about a secretary job at Hizuri Corps, since the current secretary was going to be on a maternity leave, from people in the café that she used to work at, she took the employment because she recalled Corn's last name being Hizuri. She wanted to find out if it was the same Corn that she knew fourteen years ago; the same Corn who left her behind in Kyoto.

When her boss turned around, Kyoko's breath was taken away because standing before her eyes was a man of a majestic aura that is of an emperor.

_'He is very handsome. No wonder every woman, in the company, keeps talking about him.'_ she thought.

Looking at his eyes, she said in her head _'Oh gosh, he has the exactly same honey-brown eyes as Corn. Could it be possible? No, it couldn't be because his surname is not Hizuri – it's Tsuruga. It could just be a coincidence that this man has the same eye color as Corn. Yeah it is just a coincidence! But it's odd how the CEO's last name is not that of the company. Maybe Corn is not here; maybe I am just giving myself too much false hope.'_

So once again, the room is filled with a familiar, comfortable silence between the two just-met strangers, yet not strangers at all.

"Ahem, sorry for the long stare, but you remind me of someone." Ren, ending the silence, said.

"Oh, that's all right."

"May I ask, Miss Aiba, have you ever lived in Kyoto?"

Kyoko was startled and confused as to why Mr. Tsuruga was asking her such a personal question of the place where bitter-sweet memories laid dead because he had the information on her résumé; for a while she could only stare at him, but she finally answered "Hai."

_'Ok so she is from Kyoto.' _Kuon thought. "Miss Aiba, would you mind telling me specifically where in Kyoto and how long have you have been living in Tokyo and when you moved here?"

"Well, I lived near a fishing dock in Kyoto and I moved to Tokyo two years ago on the 18th of August."

Kuon could not have believed what he had just heard.

_'That's where Kyoko used to live,'_ Ren remembered that Kyoko was the only kid who lived near that dock so _'Why is this girl saying that she lived nearby as well? There is no way this girl can be Kyoko because Takashi told me she was dead and, there is proof. But it is strange how she moved to Tokyo two years ago, exactly on the same day Kyoko died! Unless…she is not dead at all and this **IS **Kyoko.'_


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the second chapter to _Always Thinking of You_!! YAY finally the long wait. Like I said I thought this would be the final chapter but it looks like there is going to be at least 1 more chapter coming. Okay so there wasn't really any feelings slash romantic moments between Ren and Kyoko but a lot of interactions between them, at least I think so. **

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Skip Beat or its characters. At least I wish I did...Oh well XD But I can assure myself and readers that this _**IS**_ my own story and characters I created are mine :)

I hope readers would enjoy the chapter and would review their thoughts on the story :D

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Chapter 2

Kyoko could not believe her luck and was happy to get hired right on the spot at one of the largest companies in Tokyo – Hizuri Corps. But deep down, she was still a bit disappointed that Mister Tsuruga was not Kuon Hizuri, her childhood friend who she nicknamed Corn.

Other than that it does not keep her down from the excitement of substituting Mister Tsuruga's personal secretary, Usagi Okatomi, who will be on a maternity leave. Why people might ask?! Well, that is because it is the most wanted job of any woman in the city – and that means _any_woman since Ren Tsuruga was the most eligible bachelor in the city or should we say the entire country of Japan.

'_A man like that should have no problem getting a woman. He probably has a different one each day.'_Kyoko thought as she sat in Usagi's seat and listened to her lecture.

"So please listen to the direct-…Miss Aiba, are you even listening?" Usagi was practically yelling to get Kyoko's attention. Once Kyoko's eyes were focused on Usagi again, she began scolding the young woman. "Miss Aiba, how do you expect to know what to do if you are not focus, hmm?"

"I am sorry. It's just that this is my first time ever being someone's secretary so I am anxious. And please call me Ky-…I mean Miyoko!" Kyoko said with a radiant smile, hoping she didn't let on anything suspicious.

'_Her first time being a secretary?! Why did Mister Tsuruga hire her if she doesn't know anything about a secretarial job? She doesn't even look right for the job! Did he even look at her résumé? sigh Oh well who am I to complain; he is the boss after all – he can hire whoever he wants, but WHY this girl? sigh Let's hope she can at least get things done properly.'_

"Okay Miss…I mean Miyoko. I hope you can understand the importance of being a personal secretary because I can assure you that it is not an easy job to handle." Usagi reminded her and began lecturing on the rules of being Mister Tsuruga's secretary.

Kyoko stared at the middle-aged woman, while her mind was in memory lane – thinking about Corn and the memories he left behind.

'_Hmmm…I wonder where you are right now, Corn.' _Unconsciously, Kyoko puts her right hand in her sweater pocket, grasped the object in it, and gave it a gentle squeeze. _'I hope you are alright wherever you are, Corn.'_

Inside his office, Ren was observing the conversation between his "on-maternity-leave" secretary, Usagi Okatomi and the woman he just hired to be his secretary, Miyoko Aiba by watching it from his security camera on T.V.

'_I must be crazy to think such a strange thing…There is no way that girl can be Kyoko! sigh I just need some time to absorb this news and get over it. That is what I should do! Maybe take some time off and go away far from Tokyo, and Kyoto. Actually anywhere far away from Japan.' _

Ren scratched the entire idea out because it was pointless since he just hired a new substitute secretary. But he really needed to get away to erased the memories of Kyoko, but then again when he comes back, the old feelings will come back. He will just start feeling depressed.

'_What am I going to do?!'_

_**

* * *

**_

Later that day…

It looked like luck was on his side and Ren could get away from Tokyo after all, but it was not going to be easy…

Ren heard a knock on the door and ordered the person to enter. It was his new secretary, Miyoko Aiba!

"What is it Miss Aiba?!"

"Mister Tsuruga, you have a guest waiting for you outside. Should I let her in?!" Kyoko announced.

"Who is it?" Ren asked, hoping that whoever this person is, was not who he thinks it is.

"She said her name wa-" Kyoko couldn't finish her sentence because she was cut off by a person who had pushed her out of the way.

"Ren, dear, how about going out for lunch?!" A woman of early to mid-twenties, the one who just forced her way into Ren's office, asked.

'_sigh Looks like there is no escape.'_

"Sorry, Kazuki, I am busy right now. Would you kindly leave me in peace, please?!" Ren asked.

"But Ren, we haven't had a lunch date in like _forever_." Kazuki whined. Her definition of _forever_ meant only a week.

"I am really sorry, but I can't do lunch today, alright? I am on a busy schedule and the works need to get done before anything else, which also means no lunch." Ren explained the young woman.

Kazuki pouted and sighed in defeat. "Well, if you're not going for lunch, then that is fine, but could you at least let me keep you company?"

Ren also admitting defeat by sighing, thinking _'Gosh, there is no stopping her, huh?!'_

"Alright, but you have to be quiet and let me finish my paperwork." When Ren finished speaking, Kazuki smiled radiantly and happily seated herself elegantly on the couch that was in Ren's office.

Finally, realizing his secretary was still at his office doorway, Ren noticed Miyoko was giving him a strange look from the way she was tilting her head.

'_What is that look for?!'_

Waking up to her senses; Kyoko shook her head, bowed her head indicating that she was going to leave and closed the door behind her.

'_No lunch?!' _Kyoko made no hesitation and left without a word to her boss of where she was going.

_**Meanwhile back in the office…**_

Ren noticed that Kazuki was looking depressed. _'Damn it! It hasn't even been 5 minutes and she is already down sigh Women! You never could understand what they want or what they are thinking. At least Kyoko wasn't this hard to understand.'_

Realizing that he is still the host and being the polite gentleman that he is, Ren pressed into his intercom to ask Miyoko to make some coffee or tea for Kazuki.

Kazuki quickly declined. "Oh no, that is okay, Ren…you know I am not a big fan of coffee or tea."

But Ren had already made the order, not knowing that Miyoko was not at the desk.

"Well, I am just being a polite host, Kazuki. Now tell me, was there something else you wanted to talk to me about aside from wanting to ask to go out for lunch?"

"Actually, yes, there is! Daddy wanted you to do some business over in Kyoto."

Ren's whole body stiffened when he heard what Kazuki had just announced. _'Kyoto? Kyoto?! Why there?! I wish to get away from Tokyo and I ended up with Kyoto? sigh Luck just isn't on my side is it?' _

"_Business in Kyoto?!_" Ren asked to make sure he really heard correctly. Kazuki nodded the confirmation and Ren heaved a deep sigh.

_'I wonder what is eating him up?! Hmmm…maybe I can cheer him up.'_ Kazuki got off the couch and went to stand behind Ren's chair. She placed her delicate hands, with long just-manicured nails that could claw anyone's eyes out, onto Ren's shoulders and started massaging him seductively.

Ren tensed up even more from the touch of Kazuki for even though he was jaded and experienced, he was not comfortable of being with any woman and he knew what Kazuki was planning.

He knew many women over the years to understand that they would be happy to spend even one night in his bed, but Kazuki was different. He could tell that she was planning to wrap him in her little finger into marriage.

Marriage was the last thing Ren had in mind at the moment for he had the company to take of and other things to worry about such as his new secretary.

'_Damn it! Where is that girl and the drinks that I asked for like 15 minutes ago?!'_

* * *

Ren placed his big hands over hers and moved them away from him. He got up from his chair and went to check outside his office to see what was taking Miyoko so long. When he finally opened the door and looked over at the empty chair of his secretary's, he got mad at Miyoko for not doing her job.

"Where the hell did that girl go?" Ren mumbled underneath his breath.

"Ren, what is wrong?!" Kazuki asked when she reached his side.

"Nothing, it's just…"

"Oh okay. I would like to stay and chat some more, but I have an appointment with my hairstylist so I got to run." Kazuki tip-toed, and gave Ren a kiss on the lips before heading to the elevator and leaving the office building.

Ren smiled when Kazuki left, but was frowned when he saw his secretary's vacant chair.

'_That girl is in so much trouble once she gets back.'_

Just like magic, Kyoko came into the office, only to feel and see her boss' dark aura flowing in the air.

'_Uh oh!! I know this feeling too well. I am in deep water.'_ Kyoko thought to herself.

Ren heard footsteps and looked up to see Miyoko standing there, looking like she was about to flee again, which would not be a bad idea now because Ren was disappointed in his new secretary.

But he did the unexpected and smiled genuinely. "Miss Aiba, I would like to know where you have been for the last half an hour."

'_That smile may be nice, but his dark aura is definitely still there. Which means that he just putting on an act and when I am least expecting it, he is going to kill me. So how should I answer this?!'_

"Well, well…" Kyoko started her explanation.

Ren interrupted her. "Look here, Miss Aiba, I only hired you because I am on a tight schedule and Miss Okatomi is on a maternity leave so I had to get someone to substitute the job for her. Now, I hoped that she had explained everything clearly to you as to what your job as my secretary is.

"I hoped that she had also explained precisely that as my personal secretary, you are not allowed to leave unless you have my permission."

"Yes, I understand, Mister Tsuruga, but since you were having a conversation with Miss Mikage, I thought you wouldn't want to be disturbed. So I went out and bought you some lunch because you said that nothing could keep you away from your work, including lunch. I thought that maybe I could get back in time without you knowing, but somehow you found out." Kyoko finally finished explaining.

Ren, for the first time, noticed the white plastic bag that Miyoko was carrying and softened his anger a bit after hearing her reason for leaving without notice.

'_She was worried about me. Never once did Miss Okatomi bought me lunch; she understood that work is very important to me and that I would try to get it done before doing anything else, including eating.'_

Ren became apologetic. "Oh, well thank you for worrying, Miss Aiba, but you have to understand that work is essential to me and that means that I try to get it done before doing anything else, such as eating a hearty meal. And I am sorry for being kind of hard on you just now."

"Ummm...that is alright, but since I already bought you lunch, maybe you should take a break and eat." Kyoko suggested after being relieved from not getting punished on her first day. What luck!

Ren couldn't decline to the suggestion for Miyoko went out of her way to buy him food. He nodded his head, and the dark aura was lifted and was replaced by a happy atmosphere.

Before heading back into his office, Ren asked Miyoko to make a phone call to the airport requesting two plane tickets.

"Miss Aiba, would you please make a phone call to the airport requesting two plane tickets?!"

"Yes, Mister Tsuruga!"

"After that I want you to go home and pack your suitcase."

Kyoko was confused and asked why.

"Why else? You're coming with me on this trip. Your job as my secretary requires going with me anywhere I go, you know that right?" Ren asked her teasingly, knowing she would probably reply the affirmative.

His hunch was correct; she responded back with a nod and a "Hai".

"But may I asked where we are going, sir?"

"Kyoto."

Kyoko stiffened in her spot and turned pale at the mention of her hometown.

'_Why there, of all places? God must be really playing a game with people if we always end up doing things or going to places that we don't to._'

Ren noticed the sudden mood change in Miyoko, wondering what was wrong with the young woman. "Miss Aiba, are you alright?"

Waking up back to her senses, Kyoko replied. "Yes, yes I am alright. I was just surprised that I am going back to my hometown."

"Yeah, it's alright. I was surprised, too, when I first heard Kazuki saying that the business was taking place over in Kyoto. What a coincidence this has all been…looks like you and I are both going to our hometown."

Kyoko looked up at her boss, shocked that he had once lived in Kyoto.

"Well, enough of that. Do your work, Miss Aiba. Oh and make sure you get the earliest flight." Ren reminded her before closing the door to his office.

Kyoko went to make the phone call and got the two plane tickets to Kyoto. After that, she told her boss that she was going to leave for home to pack and get back in an hour since their flight was in three hours (it was now 4:30 P.M so their flight is at around 7:30 P.M).

Ren said that he was also going to leave, too and meet her at back at the office since it was easier that way. Also because Kyoko refused to have Ren pick her up at her house or to meet at the airport because Tokyo was busy during that time of day; the taxis would be too occupied on their job. It would be difficult to try to get a cab at this time so in the end, Ren and Kyoko decided to meet at the office where Ren will drive them to the airport.

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Hope readers liked the reading XD Until next time!!


	3. Chapter 3

Terribly sorry for the long awaited final chapter to this story. I have a feeling that readers are not going to really be "satisfied" with the ending. But nonetheless, hope you guys enjoyed the story, at least.

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**Chapter 3 **

"Wherever you hide – no matter how far, I will always find you," Ren said and hugged her.

Kyoko looked up at the man, endangering his life to protect her. She remembered those exact words from fourteen years ago. Here she was, never in her life would she imagined, in the embrace of the little boy – well, can't say little boy since he is a full grown man now – who she befriended on one fateful, rainy night.

_**A few days earlier… **_

Ren and Kyoko arrived in Kyoto, Japan. They went straight to the hotel where they were staying and prepared their deal with the other company—Tamahome Corps.

"So I need you to type up some of the information and print out the contract, Miss Aiba," Ren asked the woman sitting in the seat across from him.

Kyoko looked up from the text she was reading and replied, "Hai!" Taking the folder from her boss' hand, she stood up to leave. "I'll take my leave then, sir. Good night."

"Good night."

Kyoko walked out of the living room and headed toward her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and pressed her back against it. She slid down to sit on the floor and blew out a deep sigh.

'_It's like being in hell there__—if hell was anything like it. No wonder everyone admires him yet keeps their distance away from him. How does Okatomi-sensei deals with it?__'_ Kyoko questioned as she remembered being in the silent room with her boss, filled with gloominess.

Enough of the complaining, Kyoko walked over to her desk where her laptop was and continued to work on the project with Tamahome Corps and to print out the contract.

Back outside the living room, Ren was in a depressed state.

'_Why him of all people?'_

Ren couldn't believe what he was seeing when he first saw the name of the company he was making a deal with.

_Tamahome._

The name kept flashing in his mind. The name of his uncle-in-law who had wanted the fortune left behind by his grandfather.

It had been a long time since Ren had thought of that name and the face of the man who wanted him kill.

Sighing and getting up from his spot, Ren strolled to his bedroom where he took a warm shower and fell asleep immediately afterward.

_Click, click, click…_Sounds of a keyboard being use.

Meanwhile, our heroine Kyoko was still awake and preparing the presentation that was to be presented to the opposite company. Luckily, Mister Tsuruga had the layout of what the file had to look like so she followed the instructions, typed up the information, and printed out the contract.

'_Ahh finally done!' _ Kyoko thought as she finished typing up the last word of the presentation.

She saved the document on the computer and onto a CD. Kyoko stole a glance at her watch and saw that it was past midnight. She had been working on the project for more than two hours but then again, that was her job.

Kyoko wondered what was going on with her boss. Was he finished with his part of the project; they had divided—more like him dividing the work—evenly but Mister Tsuruga still had more work to do than she did.

She opened her door to check on the man who was her boss. Seeing the lights all turned off, she guessed correctly that he was already sleeping.

'_How did he finish so fast? He had more work load than I did. Well, it only goes to show what a dedicated boss he is.'_

She closed the door behind her and went back to her room. She went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and got ready for bed. Before falling asleep, she walked over to the bureau and searched for a small pouch. When she found what she was looking for, she pulled the strings apart and pulled out the object from the bag.

It was a small, purplish-blue stone that never loses its shine. Kyoko smiled at the rock. It had become a ritual for her to always look at the stone before she went to sleep and when she first wakes up in the morning.

"Good night, Corn," she kissed the stone and put it back in the pouch. She pulled back the covers of her bed, slid under them, and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

The two figures walked into the Tamahome Corps building. Kyoko was in awe at the architectural design of the place. It was grand, although a bit smaller than the Hizuri Crops.

Kyoko saw she was losing pace with her boss, so she caught up with him all the while still admiring the amazing building. Their elevator took them to the twenty-fifth floor where the conference would be held.

Once they got out of the elevator, a woman was already waiting for them.

"Welcome to Tamahome Corps, Mr. Tsuruga. The President and his advisors have been waiting patiently for your arrival. Please follow me to the meeting."

Ren smiled politely at the woman and nodded. They walked down the corridor and ended up at two big doors. The lady knocked.

"Come in," a powerful voice behind the doors said.

The woman opened the doors, and the three entered into the room. Inside the middle of the room, there was a long, round table with chairs evenly distanced beside one another. Opposite of the doors were huge arching windows that viewed the whole city of Kyoto.

All the chairs were occupied by elderly, middle-aged, and young men as Kyoko observed. She presumed they were business partners or employees of the company. She turned her direction to the main chair where the President was sitting.

He was an age-welled man, judging from his appearances. He did not look he was that old. His black hair was slicked back with not much gel, and it seemed to Kyoko that he had not one single strand of gray hair on him.

'_Unless he dyes it or something,'_ Kyoko thought.

His eyes were a shade of midnight blue. They were piercing as if they are always on the watch. He was wearing a dark gray suit that covered his well-toned body even for a middle-aged man. There was one word that Kyoko could describe this man with – beautiful. Although, he was old enough to be her father, she had to admit he was very handsome.

"Mr. Tamahome, your guest Mr. Tsuruga," the woman introduced the two men. The President glanced at the two youngsters standing at the entrance of the doors.

Ren and Kyoko bowed in greeting to the man. He acknowledged them with a cold nod.

"You can leave, now, Ms. Kizuma," President Tamahome said, and the woman left the room.

"Welcome to Tamahome Corps, Mr. Tsuruga," Iwao Tamahome got up and walked up to Ren. The older gentleman held out his hand and flashed a small, warm smile. Ren, with an expressionless face, took the man's hand and shook it.

President Tamahome looked over to the young woman standing beside Ren and asked, "Who might this young lady be?"

"She is my substitute personal assistant since my actual personal assistant is away on maternity leave," Ren answered.

"I see. Well, come now, take a seat, why don't you?" The President suggested to two empty seats.

A man who seemed to be the President's assistant asked, "Would you like anything to eat or drink, Mr. Tsuruga?"

"No, thank you, I am fine."

"And how about you, Miss…uhhh…"

"Miss Aiba, sir," Kyoko told the man her fake surname. "Thank you for the offer, but I will have to decline also."

"Since we're all settled in now, why don't we start on the presentation?" President Tamahome announced.

So the presentations went on for two hours, and Kyoko was very interested in some of the ideas the men presented. It was quite unique.

"Well, that ends it for today," President Tamahome said, getting up from his seat and escorting his guests out the doors. He walked along with everyone down to the main entrance.

Ren and Kyoko were the last ones walking behind the group. Ren glanced at his petite personal assistant. He saw that she did not look at all bored by that conference, but she could just be hiding it.

"I hope the presentations were not boring you, Miss Aiba," Ren whispered near her ear.

Kyoko jumped at the voice of her boss and the warm breathe that flew by her ear. She turned to her boss, regained her posture, and said, "No, it was not boring at all. It was interesting."

She gave him a smile, and he returned it with his own small, faint smirk. Kyoko shrink back a bit when she saw that smile for underneath that lies something dangerous that she does not want to disturb.

Kyoko had heard stories from some of the women at Hizuri Corps who told her that Ren Tsuruga has a killer smile. Any woman he smiles at will be smitten like Cupid's arrow. She is not going to deny it; he does have a killer smile. But her better conscience told her she was here for work, not to make starred-struck eyes at her boss.

Everyone got onto the elevator, and soon the car arrived at their destination – the first floor.

The President shook hands with all the men, saying how it was a pleasure to meet them all and how he was excited to be working with them on the projects. The last one to say his departure was Ren.

The older gentleman directed his attention to Ren and Kyoko. He smiled warmly at them, yet Ren can detect the coldness and the pretense in his eyes. As for Kyoko, she felt it, too.

'_He is not a man to be trusted, I see,'_ Kyoko thought. Her "angry" apparition was flying wildly in the air, trying to get to the main stream of the dark aura around Iwao Tamahome.

'_Oh I sense that dark, majestic air. Let's me fly to it. Let me! Let me!'_ Her apparition said with an evil tone and sinister eyes.

Kyoko grabbed her spirit before it went crazy and attack the oblivious target. Iwao Tamahome glimpsed her way and saw the Hizuri Corps' personal assistant grasping thin air with her fist above her head.

"Is something wrong, Miss Aiba?" The President asked, and Ren looked down at Kyoko.

"Ehhh…no, nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. I…I was just stretching, you know," she demonstrated the overhead stretch with her hand in a fist and above her head. She alternated her arms as she showed her stretch.

Kyoko smiled at the President when she was done showing enough of her excuse. The President gave a weird look, and Kyoko's fire flame was just going crazy the moment she saw that.

'_Did he…did he just gave a "WHAT A FREAK!" look? Why I ought to...'_ Before Kyoko could finish her thought, the President asked Ren, "Mr. Tsuruga, could I have a moment of privacy with you?"

"Yes, sure," Ren answered and turned to Kyoko to ask, "You don't mind waiting here, do you, Miss Aiba?"

"Not at all," Kyoko replied.

The two men walked to a quieter area behind some plants to discuss whatever that Tamahome President wanted to talk about. Kyoko strolled over to where a set of couches were and sat on one of them.

At the same time, in the shadows, a tall figure looked on and saw the President talking to the CEO of Hizuri Corps and a female. He wondered what that Ren Tsuruga was up to. When he saw the two men walking away to talk, leaving the female behind, he sneaked over to a nearby corner where he was not seen by either man. He listened to their conversation.

"Well, it has been a long time, hasn't it, Kuon?" The President asked.

"So, you knew all along I was coming?"

"It's not difficult to search out for you. You wonder why I never did anything if I have already known? Well, I guess I wanted to see what kind of man you would grown, and it looks like you have grown into a fine man, I should say. You are the exact image of your deceased father except for the brown hair, of course."

"What is your main point?"

"It was always straight to the point with you, wasn't it? Well, I thought I'd be nice and invite to my yacht party where I want to introduce you to my other business partners."

"That's it?"

"Yes, what were you expecting? Now, Kuon, or should I say Ren, I know we have not been on the best of terms, but I would like to make amends, and this is my way of wanting to include you in my life again since you are my wife's nephew."

Ren was not an idiot to believe his uncle's words, but he will just comply.

"All right."

"Good, I knew you were always wise in making decisions," President Tamahome complimented happily with a cold smile. He added, "Just make sure to dress formally and oh, yes do bring your secretary along. I am sure she would enjoy the luxury that she cannot afford. The party is tomorrow night. Be there at 8." With that said, the President walked away to talk to some of his other business partners who had not left yet.

Ren did not know why, but he felt angry at his uncle for saying something like that about his substitute secretary. Sure, he read in her résumé, that she did not come from a wealthy family, but at least she was a dedicated worker. Not saying she was one of those "girls" who would do anything low for money. She was willing to work in places that other "girls" would not dare to set themselves in. Those "girls" would work at such a lowly place because they feel that it was the only option they had when there were millions of other jobs, even if those jobs did not pay much. What matters is dedicating yourself to work hard no matter what and not bellowing yourself to a job that is out of your morality, even when the money situation is bad.

Ren went over to where his secretary, Miyoko Aiba, was standing. He tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned around and smiled warmly at him. His heart melted at the gesture. He didn't know why, but knowing she was there, waiting for him was good enough to make him feel happy, even though she hadn't been working at his company for one full week yet.

"Was it something important the President wanted to tell you?" Kyoko asked.

"No, not really. Only he wanted me – or to be precise, us – to attend a party he is holding tomorrow night," Ren replied.

"Oh, I see."

"Come on, let's go," Ren walked away, while Kyoko followed.

_**Skipping forward to the following night of the yacht party, hosted by President Tamahome…**_

For the past half an hour, Ren waited in the living room for his secretary to come out. The door to her room finally opened, and Kyoko stepped out. She was wearing a simple dress, just a bit below the knees. The color was dark green. She had heels of the same shade on her feet.

"You look nice," Ren complimented.

"Thank you, sir," Kyoko replied.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes. Oh, wait, I need to get my purse," Kyoko ran back into her room. Ren walked to the opening of her bedroom door and looked in. She was rummaging her room, looking for something.

"Did you lose something?" Ren asked.

"Um, yes actually, I did. It's a very important item, and I never go anywhere without it," Kyoko answered while anxiously searching for her lost article.

"Would you like some help to make the search easier?" Ren got her nod of approval and asked, "What does it look like?"

"Well, it's a small purse with a stone inside," Kyoko answered, throwing clothes on the ground as she looked for her purse in the closet.

Ren glanced around the room and decided to look under the TV stand to see if the lost purse was there.

Nothing.

Next, he searched under the bed, and there was still nothing. Finally, he walked over to the desk and pulled out the chair to look under it. With certain luck, Ren found a small purse that he was absolutely sure it was the missing item. He picked up the small purse, designed with red and white criss-cross pattern. It was heavier than it looked for something was inside. He opened to see, and just like his secretary said, there was a stone inside.

Ren was shocked when he saw the stone. He felt like he was going back in time to that fateful night. Flashes of images raced through his mind as he recalled the first time he met her till the last time they saw each other on their favorite beach rock. He knew the stone was not rare in Kyoto, but he would never be able to forget the sharp, rounded edges surrounding the inner color of the stone. It was the same size and shape. Most of all, he could still feel the same sorrows that he had poured into the stone whenever he was down.

The familiar feeling of sadness emitted from the stone as it laid there in his palm. His attention immediately focused on the girl who was still busy searching for her precious stone. Ren felt a lump in his throat, and he felt tears coming, but he retained his cool demeanor.

He cleared his throat and said, "Is this it?"

Kyoko ran over to where her boss was standing. He was holding something in his opened palm.

There it was. In the center of his hand was her Corn. She gently lifted the stone from his hand and grasped it close to her heart. She smiled warmly with her eyes closed.

Ren looked at the girl before his eyes. Here she was, he thought. She was just a few feet away from him. One small step from him, and he would be able to hold her in his arms, but something kept him back. It was probably the sight of seeing her happy to find the stone he gave her again that stopped him from making a move.

He strolled past her and said, "I think we should get going, now that we have found your stone. Oh, and here is the purse for you to keep it safe once again," Ren handed her the little red and white criss-cross designed purse for her to put the stone in.

_**Arriving at the party that takes place on a yacht…**_

Kyoko was amazed at the bright colors that were glittering brightly everywhere she turned. The President of Tamahome Corps had really outdone himself with all the fancy lightings and not to mention, the big and fantastic yacht he owned.

Ren held out his arm for her to take. She placed one cool hand through his elbow and wrapped her fingers around his arm. They walked on the plank of the boat. The two reached the top, and Kyoko saw many people already at the party.

President Tamahome saw Ren and his secretary entering the party and decided to end his conversation with his business partners to greet them. Before reaching his targets, he glanced over to his right side and nodded his head. From afar, a man saw the President's nod and understood the man's meaning.

"Mr. Tsuruga, glad you could make it. And you look graceful, Miss Aiba," President Tamahome greeted with a friendly tone, though inside, he was seething with hatred.

"Thank you, sir, for the invitation," Ren replied. Kyoko smiled politely as a thank you for the compliment.

"Well, enjoy yourselves. I know you are going to just die from all the fun once this party ends," the older gentleman said and walked away to talk to some of his other business clients.

Kyoko and Ren turned to each other and wondered what was going to be happening at the party tonight.

Ren tried to enjoy the party, but his thoughts returned to the same place it was before he came aboard the yacht. His mind was running like fifty miles per hour. So many questions needed to be answer that it was hard to focus on what the other big industry men were talking about. Occasionally, Ren would nod and faint a smile, but his thoughts and eyes were on a certain female secretary at the party.

She was sitting alone at one of the tables near the far back of the boat. She sat with a straight posture and hands neatly folded in her lap. She looked bored and lonely, Ren thought.

He excused himself from the conversation and walked his way over to where she was sitting.

Kyoko felt a presence coming toward her, and so she turned her head and stared at the chocolate-colored eyes of her boss, Ren Tsuruga. She gave him a peaceful smile. He took a seat beside her with a bit of distance in between.

"Hope you aren't bored to death at this party, Miss Aiba," Ren broke the silence.

"No, I am actually quite fine, thank you. Not the party I would engage myself in since I have no knowledge on businesses, but it is nice to have a change of setting, I suppose," Kyoko said.

Ren gave her a faint smile and silence came between the two again.

The party was going great, and everything was according to plan. President Tamahome went up on stage and clanked his fork against his wine glass to get people's attention.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am glad to see that you all were able to attend this, which I definitely know is an unforgettable party." President Tamahome glanced over to one of the security guards he hired for the party and nodded his head.

Suddenly, there was a firing in the air, and everyone ran for covers. Ren searched for his secretary and got anxious when he couldn't see her anywhere. A chestnut brown shade of hair color caught his attention, and he knew for that it was her.

Ren made his way through the frightening crowd and caught her in his arms. Another shot was fired. Ren grabbed Kyoko's hand and ran for cover under one of the tables. Gunshot after one another filled the air, and peopled screamed.

"What is happening?" Kyoko asked worriedly. Ren gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I am not sure, but it does not sound pretty," Ren replied. He sneaked his head out from the table and saw in the middle of the room was a dead body lying on the floor.

"Come out wherever you, Ren. I know you are still here," President Tamahome said.

Ren came out from underneath the table and stood up. He looked dead straight into the eyes of his uncle who had a sinister smile on his face.

"Now, there is my main target," President Tamahome said.

Two gunmen pointed their weapons at Ren. Kyoko looked out from under the table and peeked up at her boss who was standing tall and still.

"Now, Ren, or should I say Kuon, you have no idea how long I've waited for this day to come. The day you would disappear, once and for all, from this world," the President snapped his finger and the gunmen readied their guns for shooting.

Kyoko could not believe what she had just heard. Kuon, or Corn in Kyoko's mind. The man, who is her boss, was the little boy from her childhood. Before she could gather her thoughts together, she heard the clicks of the guns being readied to fire, and then there was a loud bang. Another shot. And another.

She was too scared to scream. She could only stare. But the thing was her boss was still standing and unharmed. Kyoko did not understand what just happened – how could her boss still be alive if there were gunshots.

"Freeze, do not move," loud voices roared the room.

Ren looked over into the directions where the gunshots were fired from. There, standing in the middle of the entrance to the room was his friend, Kitsuki Eba, from the police department.

The FBI shot the two gunmen on the wrists, knocking the guns out of their hands, and now they were down on the floor, withering in pain from the injury. President Tamahome tried to make a run for it, but was blocked when more policemen came out of the door in the direction he was running to.

He pulled out a gun, but one of the men knocked it out of his hand with a high kick. The policemen gathered around him, and one of them handcuffed him.

_**On the port a few minutes later…**_

Kyoko had a blanket wrapped around her as she sat in the back opening of an ambulance. She could still not believe of what happened in that yacht tonight. It was crazy, for one thing. And surprising, in a way she would have never thought.

Her eyes searched out for her boss. He was standing in the distance, talking to the head policeman who was in charge of the arrest of President Tamahome.

"Thank you for saving us, Eba," Ren said to his friend.

"No need to. It's our job as policemen to catch criminals, right?" Eba smiled. "Speaking of doing our job, I think it's time for you to do yours, considering that young lady is looking over here at us," Eba softly chuckled and walked away to handle other matters.

Ren looked at the young woman who, a few days ago, entered his office as a substitute for his secretary, and now was looking like the little girl he befriended many ages ago. Ren took a deep breath before making his way over to her. He was not sure what was going to happen or where they are going to go from here, but he hopes that she will not push him away.

"Feeling better?" Ren asked.

"A bit," Kyoko lowered her head. "How did you find out?"

"When we were searching for your stone," Ren said.

"How were you so sure? There could be many stones of that type and color," Kyoko said.

"Let's just say I have a good sense of finding lost things, just like I have found the little girl who held a special place in my life the moment she walked into it."

"Why are you certain?" Kyoko searched through his eyes.

"Wherever you hide – no matter how far, I will always find you," Ren said and hugged her.

Kyoko looked up at the man, endangering his life to protect her. She remembered those exact words from fourteen years ago. Here she was, never in her life would she imagined, in the embrace of the little boy – well, can't say little boy anymore since he is a full grown man now – who she befriended on one fateful, rainy night.

* * *

That's it for this story. Although, I have another follow-up idea of a story, or sequel to put it short, to this one. Still not quite how the story will go, but hopefully it will be posted someday, but not too positive on me writing the sequel for the story to ever take flight because I have a ton of other stories I want to write. Yeah, I know, I am such an awful authur, but I am a person who can't stick to one thing for too long. I have been putting this story off for so long that I thought and decided that I need to do the readers a favor by rewarding them with the final chapter for waiting a long time, which again I am very sorry for. Hope to see my readers in my other stories in the review section, and not to forget this story :) (you know you want to click on that review button and type up your frustration for making you wait so long for such a bad ending, haha XD)


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